“some 3,054… 50% of the world’s total languages — are set to die out by 2100. If there is hope, it lies in the world’s centers of information — such as Google. The search giant’s philanthropic arm, Google.org, has launched the Endangered Language project, a website devoted to preserving those ancient tongues that are now only spoken by a few thousand of us.”

“Cathy Davidson has argued that we are entering a second phase that can be loosely connected to social media technologies, often given the Web 2.0 designation (“Humanities 2.0”).9 Blogs and now Twitter are examples of social media that have been adapted for research work in the academy. Such…

The Difference Engine Initiative was comprised of two six-week game jams for first-time women developers. The ripple effect of the DEI has been extraordinary, with participants pursuing careers in game development, creating new community initiatives, and making more games. While some of these successes can be considered under the rubric of “Women in Games,” more have been due to the talent and dedication of the participants, the excitement generated by their games, and their leadership skills. The women of the Difference Engine continue to make awesome things happen.

Learn more about the Difference Engine and the games that came out of it:

Allied Media Conference 2012 Drop-in Playpen GamesHappening throughout the conference in the Exhibition Area

Want to chill out, play some games, maybe run around a 3D sim world? Come to the Drop-in Playpen! We’ll have a large selection of radical video games, board games, and simulations that you can play on your own or with new friends. If you’ve been working on a game at the AMC, this is the perfect place to playtest it!

Dog Eat Dog: A tabletop roleplaying game about the colonization of a Pacific IslandVirtual Detroit: A 3D virtual world simulation to explore “sustainable urbanism” in the cityRoba-Roba: A Pac-Man like game about political corruption in BrazilThe City:A tabletop boardgame about community-building that uses actual resources like electricity and solar panelsUnmanned: A split-screen game about the newest kind of solider: one who remotely drops bombs on foreign soil during the day and night goes home to his family in the suburbs. The McDonald’s Game:A resource management game in which you control every part of the McDonald’s corporation, from the creation of pastures to the branding.A Friendship in Four Colours:A two-player game about collaboration and friendly fire.Dys4ia:an unfair game about hormone replacement therapy. It is autobiographical.Realistic Female First Person Shooter:a satirical game created in response to a men’s rights forum post complaining about unrealistic “strong female character” games.Traitor:A space shooter in which you obey your conscience instead of authority.